Ask Cancuk about backpacking/independant travel.

[Stan Loh]

What is in your huge ass backpack? Do backpackers usually carry pots and pans as well?

[Cancuk]

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What is in your huge ass backpack? Do backpackers usually carry pots and pans as well?

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Some backpackers carry pot's and pan's... but that's mostly if they're going hiking/camping or try to look as dirty/hardcore as possible..

I carry as little as possible. Lots of underwear and light, comfortable shirts. Besides that... a couple shorts, a pair of pants... umm... a pair of shoes.. a sheet.. a towel... as little as possible. Usually quie a few books though.. as I read a lot and pick them up along the way.

[raju]

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Well, in Canada lots of rednecks let their big dogs run around... The dog sees you on the highway and basically assumes that you're on its territory and comes at you. I've always had plenty of warning (like the dog was a more than half a football field away when it saw or smelled me and got aggressive) so I've been able to just walk away unscathed. Of course the time will come when I have to go toe-to-toe.
So you are really saying just a big stick will do the trick? What do you do? Swing it and yell? Just kind of brandish it and remain calm? Actually bludgeon the dog? I was thinking about carrying spray dog repellant. This could come in handy for the dogs owners too. In a way I'm not even joking about that last part, sadly.

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Bit late i know but that dog issue is msomething i`ve had to deal with alot.
Carrying a stick always makes me feel alot safer but i noticed dogs get more aggro if i have one.
I`ve had it confirmed by various owners that this is because the dog feels like you might be about to hit it. Fair enough, i probably am.

I got some advice in Asia about picking up a rock or, if there isnt a rock, just pretending to pick something up and aim like you`re going to throw it and i`ve had good success with this. This works for all kinds of animals in my experience.

I`m with you. This dog thing can be NOT FUNNY.

[Cancuk]

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Well, in Canada lots of rednecks let their big dogs run around... The dog sees you on the highway and basically assumes that you're on its territory and comes at you. I've always had plenty of warning (like the dog was a more than half a football field away when it saw or smelled me and got aggressive) so I've been able to just walk away unscathed. Of course the time will come when I have to go toe-to-toe.
So you are really saying just a big stick will do the trick? What do you do? Swing it and yell? Just kind of brandish it and remain calm? Actually bludgeon the dog? I was thinking about carrying spray dog repellant. This could come in handy for the dogs owners too. In a way I'm not even joking about that last part, sadly.

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Bit late i know but that dog issue is msomething i`ve had to deal with alot.
Carrying a stick always makes me feel alot safer but i noticed dogs get more aggro if i have one.
I`ve had it confirmed by various owners that this is because the dog feels like you might be about to hit it. Fair enough, i probably am.

I got some advice in Asia about picking up a rock or, if there isnt a rock, just pretending to pick something up and aim like you`re going to throw it and i`ve had good success with this. This works for all kinds of animals in my experience.

I`m with you. This dog thing can be NOT FUNNY.

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Well, allright. It seems like there is a very serious dog-phobia that I wasn't aware of... I was never saying that having to deal with a dog wouldn't be that hard, more that it seems like there are much more serious/likely matters that could/would happen.... maybe i'm compleatly off base here?

[Janabis]

I don't get what this dog phobia is all about either... Shouldn't you be a hundred times more worried about getting hit by a car or mugged by some homeless dude?

[Cancuk]

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I don't get what this dog phobia is all about either... Shouldn't you be a hundred times more worried about getting hit by a car or mugged by some homeless dude?

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I think so. Maybe i'm wrong?

[BHold]

Got a few questions for ya:

1) The first time you left w/o your mother did you go alone?

2) Do you leave with a guideline of where you're going to go and when, or did you buy a ticket to a place you were interested in and just go from there?

3) If you leave with specific places to go in mind, do you plan things you'd like to do in each place before you leave? Or just arrive and go by recommendation?

4) First piece of advice you'd give to a potential first time backpacker?

[Cancuk]

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Got a few questions for ya:

1) The first time you left w/o your mother did you go alone?

2) Do you leave with a guideline of where you're going to go and when, or did you buy a ticket to a place you were interested in and just go from there?

3) If you leave with specific places to go in mind, do you plan things you'd like to do in each place before you leave? Or just arrive and go by recommendation?

4) First piece of advice you'd give to a potential first time backpacker?

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1. My first time w/o parents I was 17/18 w/ GF. First time alone 19.

2. Umm... I've never had a itinerary of where i'm going to go. I've had dates on arriving and leaving (flying into Buenos Aires, out of Quito 4-8 months later)... but i've also just bought a one way ticket to somewhere, and gone from there. That's what I did in my last trip. One way to Istanbul. I usually have an IDEA of where I want to go, but it never stays in tact and usually changes a lot along the way.

3. I don't really know what you mean... Usually if there's somewhere I want to go there's a reason for it, so there's things I have in mind that I want to do when I get there... but I never actually make plans until I get there and lots of the time I don't get to some of the things that I was wanting to... I find that the best things that happen are usually the unexpected... why would I want to have a full itinerary of everythign that i'm going to do for everyday? It takes out the best part of travelling: the adventure/unknown of it all.

4. Don't be afraid.

[Allinlife]

What do you have to say about how much planning you should do before traveling? also how do you usually find a place to sleep?

lastly I wanted to carry a laptop to maybe play some poker at nights/ airports, check out places to go etc but i'm guessing it's probably not worth the trouble of having to worry about carrying a valuable item in 3rd world countries/ the weight etc. whats your thoughts?

[Cancuk]

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What do you have to say about how much planning you should do before traveling? also how do you usually find a place to sleep?

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I usually do a fair amout of research before I go to get an idea of places where I might want to go... but I don't plan anyhing about when I might get there. I probably have already said this, but for my last trip I had a one way ticket to Istanbul. I knew I wanted to spend some time in Turkey. I knew I wanted to get over to China and Tibet. And I wanted to get to India as well. T Before I left, I thought I would go through the Caucause (sp?) (Georgia, Armenia) and then up into Russia and travel across to China... but getting a Russian Visa in Turkey was hard so I ended up going south through the middle east and found a dirt cheap flight from Egypt to China. So... I had a idea of places (very large places, mind you) that I wanted to go, but no idea how I was going to get there, or how long it would take me to do it.

As far as hotels/hostels.. lots of places are recommeneded to you from other travellers... also guidebooks are a huge help.. and not so much the ones they recommend... because once their recommended their ususally heaving with backpackers and the quality goes way down.. (not always the case, but I find true for larges cities especially) but more the general area of each town/city on where to find cheap accomodation... once you're in that area, finding a place is never that large of a problem.. although, lots of the times it's a hour ordeal or more.


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lastly I wanted to carry a laptop to maybe play some poker at nights/ airports, check out places to go etc but i'm guessing it's probably not worth the trouble of having to worry about carrying a valuable item in 3rd world countries/ the weight etc. whats your thoughts?

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I think it really matters where you're going. You meet people who are carryin their laptops around, but I don't think its worht the risk/hassel to do it... inless you're going to somewhere like Europe where wireless interent is everywhere, otherwiese just getting your laptop online is going to be a hassel. Besides that, internet cafes are everywhere. Also, how much time are you going to be spending in airports? Are you thinking this is going to be your major source of transportation? If so, I would not recommend...

p.s. when I was in South America, I would sometimes go to an interent cafe and download partypoker and play with my account. I was surprised it didn't freeze it actually (IP numbers, etc).

Also in South America, Peru to be exact, we went to some Casino's looking for poker. Couldn't find it, but what we did find is blackjack with only two decks (I think). Either way, we went home, worked on our card counting, and came back and made some money. I felt badass for the 60 bucks that we won.